Special Olympians bring team spirit to Riverside School

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About 200 students at Riverside School learned about inclusivity and the harms of bullying during a visit from Special Olympics athlete ambassadors Thursday.

Students in grades 4-6 won the “Show Us Your Spirit” contest presented by RBC after creating care packages to share with Special Olympics athletes.

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Karen Dommet, general manager of Canada's 2024 Winter Olympics in Calgary, said athlete ambassadors will not be defeated when they talk about bullying and inclusivity.

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Athletes of the Special Olympics — Ellie Price, Darby Taylor, Damion Chiodo, Siobhan Zobatar and Leonka Kaluha — He was joined by bobsled Olympian Eden Wilson and RBC's lion mascot Leo.

“Today we know all about inclusion through sport, the magic of the Special Olympics and hearing from athletes themselves about their experiences,” said Dommett.

A Special Olympian discusses how her self-esteem “skyrocketed.”

She said one athlete ambassador, Leonka Kaluha, tells her personal story about disability, inclusion and how she was not allowed to participate in physical education in high school.

“She has been a true anti-bullying champion and takes every opportunity to share this message with young people and shows the power of Special Olympics and the power of sport to be inclusive and kind and to fight bullying. .”

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Kalukha has been a participant in Special Olympics for 22 years. According to her, her favorite winter sport is field hockey and her favorite summer sport is track and field.

“When I was in high school, I wanted to do PE, but I was rejected and I didn't fit in, and my self-esteem was really low,” she said.

But as soon as Kaluha graduated high school, she decided to join the Special Olympics, and says her self-esteem “skyrocketed.”

“I won a gold medal in hockey in 2019 and a bronze medal in floor hockey in 2023, and I also won one in athletics.”

For the upcoming Special Olympics in Calgary, Kaluha said she supports everyone involved.

“I'm going to be a big cheerleader for all the athletes in all the sports,” he said.

Riverside School celebrates Special Olympics

Superintendent Steve Rudder said the announcement of the addition was in line with the school's agenda.

“At our school, some ambassadors from the Special Olympics programs spoke to our students and shared lessons about inclusion with them, which fit perfectly with our school's priorities of respect, inclusion, communication and kindness,” she said.

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“Being with these students makes me so grateful every day, and today is no different, but it just reflects the incredible work of my students and staff.”

Rudder said that if there's one takeaway from the story, it's that everyone has something to contribute, and everyone's contribution should be celebrated.

“Ellie, the sister of our head coach Scott Price, is one of our ambassadors today. Scott has been a great addition to our school and he has done a great job here and I hope this partnership continues.”

About 800 athletes from across Canada will compete in the Calgary Games from February 27 to March 2.

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